The purpose of this proposal is to evaluate the utility of biochemical and cellular markers of asthma inflammation in assessing disease severity, response to therapy and relapse. The hypothesis is that inflammatory mediators and cells in sputum, blood, and urine are positively correlated with clinical evaluations of severity of asthma and they relate quantitatively to the development of acute exacerbations and their response to treatment. During this year, patient activity was suspended in order to refine the sputum handling techniques to ensure cells are not being destroyed in the initial stages of preparation of the samples. The data gathered in the first year of the project is undergoing preliminary analysis. The CDMAS facility has provided database design assistance and provides the storage and back-up routines for the study.